Page 22

TWENTY-TWO

HELENA

H elena woke to sunlight streaming through the massive windows of Sol’s bedroom—now their bedroom. The sheets smelled of him, that woodsy spice that made her heart flutter. She stretched, her muscles pleasantly sore from their night of running through the forest on four legs instead of two.

Her wolf. She actually had a wolf inside her.

She rolled over to find Sol watching her with those impossibly green eyes, a half-smile on his lips. His tattoo on his right arm shimmered in the morning light as he reached out to brush hair off her face.

“I can hear you thinking,” Sol said, his voice still rough with sleep. “How does it feel being a wolf shifter?”

Helena felt her cheeks flush. “Strange. Wonderful. Like I’ve discovered a part of myself that’s always been there, but I never knew to look for.”

“Your wolf is simply beautiful.” He traced the line of her collarbone with his fingertip. “Red like your hair. Like fire.”

The memory of shifting, of feeling her bones transform and her senses sharpen beyond anything humanly possible, made her shiver. “Will it get easier? The changing?”

“With practice.” Sol’s hand slid possessively around her waist, drawing her closer. “But you’re a natural, Luna.”

Luna. The title still felt foreign, but less so than before. After facing Victor, after feeling the fierce protectiveness toward Sol and his pack—her pack now—Helena couldn’t deny the mate bond anymore or her place by Sol’s side.

Sol reached for his phone on the nightstand, his muscled arm stretching across her vision. He punched in a number and brought it to his ear.

“Mitesh,” he said, his voice shifting from the intimate tone he used with her to something more commanding. “Gather the pack at the castle tonight. Ballroom. We’re making the Luna announcement official.”

Helena caught snippets of Mitesh’s excited response before Sol ended the call and tossed his phone aside.

“A celebration?” She propped herself on her elbow. “For me?”

Sol’s smile bordered on wicked. “For us. For our pack.” He cupped her face gently. “But before that, there are some people you need to meet properly.”

“Who?”

“My sister Claire and her family. You met Joshua in wolf form last night. He’s my beta and Claire’s husband.”

Helena’s eyebrows rose. “The man who helped you rescue me from the fire at my restaurant is your brother-in-law?”

“The very same.” Sol’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Claire is eight months pregnant with their fourth. They already have twin boys, Finn and Filip—absolute terrors, both eight—and a girl Emma, who’s six.”

Helena tried to imagine the formidable Joshua as a father of three—soon to be four—wild children. “They live here? At the castle?”

“No. They live in a house on the territory.” Sol captured her hand and pressed his lips to her palm. “Claire will be so thrilled to meet you. She’s wanted me to find my Luna for decades. Said I was getting too broody.”

“Decades,” Helena breathed, still adjusting to the reality of Sol’s age. “And now you’ve got me, a chef who only just figured out she’s a wolf.”

Sol’s expression grew serious and intense. He moved with predatory grace, suddenly looming over her, his arms bracketing her body.

“Not just any wolf.” His voice dropped to a growl that sent heat rushing through her veins. “Mine.”

The possessive declaration should have concerned her. Instead, it felt so right. Just like the way his lips felt so right when they suddenly crashed down on hers, claiming her with a kiss that promised forever.

That afternoon, Helena followed Sol through the winding paths of the castle grounds toward the shimmering blue pool nestled in a corner of the massive backyard. Her heart fluttered with a strange mix of excitement and nervousness. Meeting Sol’s family felt momentous—more so than any job interview or culinary competition she had ever faced.

“Relax,” Sol murmured, his hand warm against her back. “They already love you.”

Helena smoothed her sundress, a delicate floral pattern that complemented her pale skin and red hair. “How could they? They haven’t even met me yet.”

“You’re my Luna.” Sol’s voice carried that possessive edge that made her heart race. “That’s enough for them.”

As they rounded a hedge of tall boxwoods, the sounds of children’s laughter filled the air. The expansive pool area came into view where a statuesque blonde woman reclined on a lounge chair, her belly swollen with pregnancy, while a tall man with Joshua’s unmistakable features tended to a massive grill.

Two identical dark-haired boys cannonballed into the pool, sending sprays of water everywhere while a little girl with blonde pigtails carefully arranged a row of toys along the pool’s edge.

“Uncle Sol!” The little girl spotted them first, abandoning her toys and racing toward them. Her face lit up like sunshine.

Sol swept the child into his arms with practiced ease, twirling her around. “How’s my little princess Emma?”

The transformation in Sol took Helena’s breath away. Gone was the fierce, domineering alpha, replaced by a doting uncle with a gentle smile and tender touch.

“Is she your wife now?” Emma asked bluntly, pointing at Helena with undisguised curiosity.

Helena felt her cheeks warm as Sol grinned. “This is Helena, and not quite. She’s my mate.”

The boys, dripping wet, had scrambled from the pool and circled them like excited puppies. “Can you really make fire?” one asked, eyes wide with fascination.

“Finn! Filip! Give the woman some space,” Claire called, pushing herself up from her chair with some effort. Joshua immediately appeared at her side, supporting her with quiet strength.

Claire waddled over, her smile genuine and warm. “I’m Claire. Sorry about the chaos. We’ve been waiting forever to meet you.” She embraced Helena like a long-lost sister.

Helena hugged her back, finding herself instantly comfortable with Sol’s sister. “Thank you for having me.”

“About time this one settled down,” Joshua said, clapping Sol on the shoulder while shooting Helena a conspiratorial grin. “He’s been a grumpy bastard for centuries.”

“Language,” Claire reminded him with a playful swat, nodding toward the children.

Helena couldn’t help but laugh. She had been afraid all morning that they would be stiff or formal—this was royalty, after all—but they were wonderfully, refreshingly real.

Throughout the afternoon, Helena watched Sol with his family. He tossed the boys into the pool, their shrieks of delight echoing across the grounds. He listened seriously to Emma’s detailed explanation of her toy arrangement. But most touching was how he hovered near Claire, constantly checking if she needed anything, adjusting her umbrella for better shade, and bringing her fresh lemonade before she even asked.

“He’ll be an amazing father,” Claire said quietly, catching Helena watching Sol as he demonstrated the perfect cannonball to his nephews.

Helena’s heart skipped. Children. With Sol. The image came unbidden—a little boy with Sol’s green eyes and her red hair, and a tiny girl with her own stubborn determination and Sol’s strength.

“You think so?” Helena asked, unable to keep the yearning from her voice.

“I know so.” Claire patted her hand. “I’ve never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you. Like you’re the sun and moon and stars all wrapped up in one package.”

As the sun dipped toward the horizon, painting the sky in shades of amber and rose, Helena found herself reluctant to leave the comfortable bubble of family warmth. The afternoon with Sol’s family had filled a void she hadn’t realized existed in her heart.

“We should get ready for tonight,” Sol announced, his hand finding the small of Helena’s back. The casual touch sent a flicker of heat through her. “The pack is gathering in the ballroom at eight.”

Claire’s eyes lit up with excitement. “The official Luna announcement! Oh, Helena, you’re going to love it.”

“Is it very formal?” Helena asked, suddenly apprehensive. She’d never been one for elaborate celebrations, preferring the controlled chaos of her kitchen.

Joshua chuckled. “For these wolves? They’ll be howling by midnight.”

“But, yes,” Claire added, “it starts with some ceremony. Tradition matters to the Sunflare pack.”

Sol guided Helena away from the pool with gentle insistence. “Don’t worry. I’ve arranged everything. Deina is waiting in the east wing suite to help you prepare.”

As they walked through the castle’s stone corridors, Helena felt the weight of what was about to happen. Tonight, she would officially become Luna to hundreds of shifters—creatures she hadn’t known existed a week ago.

“You’re thinking way too hard,” Sol murmured, stopping at an ornate door carved with intricate wolves and flames. “I can practically hear the gears turning.”

“Just thinking how fast everything happened.” Helena twisted her fingers together. “Less than a week ago, I was just Helena the chef. Now I’m supposed to be some kind of wolf queen?”

Sol tipped her chin up with one finger, his green eyes blazing with intensity. “You’re not ‘supposed to be’ anything. You already are the Luna. Tonight just makes it official to everyone else.”

The confidence in his voice steadied her racing pulse. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, his lips lingering against her skin.

“Deina will help you get ready. I’ll meet you at the grand staircase at quarter to eight.”

The suite Sol led her to was breathtaking—a sitting room flowing into a bedroom larger than her entire house, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the forested estate. Deina waited inside with an array of beauty products and, hanging on an ornate wardrobe door, the most stunning gown Helena had ever seen.

“Is that for me?” she breathed, approaching the emerald creation. The silk caught the light like liquid fire.

“Custom made for the Luna,” Deina confirmed with a proud smile. “The Prince commissioned it the day after he met you.”

Helena’s heart skipped. “He was that certain?”

“Alpha wolves always know their mates,” Deina said simply as if that explained everything. Maybe it did.

The next hour passed in a flurry of preparations. Helena soaked in a scented bath before Deina styled her red hair in an elegant updo with tendrils framing her face. The emerald gown fit as if created by magic, hugging her curves before flaring gracefully at her hips. The color made her hazel eyes seem brighter and complemented her pale skin perfectly.

When Deina fastened a delicate diamond and emerald necklace around her throat, Helena barely recognized the woman in the mirror—regal, confident, and powerful.

“You look every inch the Luna,” Deina whispered, a hint of awe in her voice.

Helena took a deep breath and smoothed her hands over the silk. “I just hope I don’t trip down these stairs.”

At precisely quarter to eight, Helena approached the grand staircase. The castle buzzed with activity below, voices and laughter echoing through the halls.

Then she saw Sol.

He stood at the base of the stairs, a dark statue of masculine perfection in his black tuxedo. His hair was brushed back, emphasizing his strong jaw and the neat trim of his beard. When he looked up and saw her, his expression transformed from polite waiting to raw hunger.

Helena’s heart hammered as she descended one step at a time, careful not to catch her heel in the gown’s flowing train. Sol’s eyes never left her face, even as others began to notice and whisper.

“You are stunning,” he said when she reached him, his voice a husky growl that sent shivers racing down her spine. He lifted her hand to his lips, his eyes still locked with hers. “Every man will envy me tonight. Every woman will wish she were you.”

“I doubt that.” Helena’s cheeks flushed. “But thank you for the gown. It’s beautiful.”

“You’re what makes it beautiful.” Sol placed her hand on his arm. “Ready to meet your pack, Luna?”

With a deep breath, Helena nodded. “As I’ll ever be.”

Sol guided Helena through the massive double doors of the royal ballroom, his hand warm and possessive around hers. The vast room opened before them, glittering with crystal chandeliers that cast rainbow prisms across the polished marble floor. Helena let out a small gasp at the sheer number of people—shifters—waiting inside.

Hundreds of faces turned toward them, conversations dying mid-sentence as every eye in the room fixed on her. Helena felt a momentary panic rise in her chest, the instinct to flee almost overwhelming. Sol must have sensed her tension because his grip on her hand tightened slightly, anchoring her in this moment.

“They’re staring,” she whispered, fighting the urge to fidget with her gown.

“Of course, they are.” Sol’s voice was low, meant only for her ears. “They’ve waited centuries for you.”

As they walked forward, the crowd parted like water, creating a path to a raised dais at the front of the room. Helena kept her chin high despite the butterflies in her stomach. A week ago, the most intimidating audience she’d faced had been a restaurant full of food critics. Now she was walking through a sea of supernatural creatures who expected her to be their queen.

The dais held two ornate chairs that might as well have been thrones, carved with intricate wolves and flames. Sol guided her up the three steps, then turned to face the assembly, his hand never leaving hers.

“My pack,” his voice resonated through the hall without effort, commanding and powerful. Helena felt a shiver run through her at the authority in his tone. “For centuries, I have served as your alpha, guided by the ancient ways of the Sunflare. Today, I stand before you completed.”

A murmur rippled through the crowd.

“The Moon Goddess has blessed us with what many packs never receive—a true Luna.” Sol lifted Helena’s hand to his lips, his eyes blazing with pride. “Helena Divata accepted the mate bond willingly and bears my mark. The fire of our ancestors burns within her.”

The whispers grew louder, excitement building like electricity in the air.

“Would you show them?” Sol asked her privately, his voice dipping into that intimate register that made her heart race.

Helena swallowed hard. She had only shifted once, and that had been in the privacy of the forest clearing. The thought of transforming in front of an audience made her palms sweat.

“I’m not sure—“ she began.

“Trust your wolf,” Sol whispered. “She knows what to do.”

Drawing a deep breath, Helena closed her eyes. She reached for that wild, new part of herself—the creature that had been dormant all her life until Sol’s bite awakened it. The transformation came easier this time, her body remembering the way. Heat rippled through her, bones shifting and muscles contracting. The beautiful emerald gown fell away as her form changed, her consciousness expanding into something primal and powerful.

When she opened her eyes, the world had transformed into sharper scents and sounds. She stood on four legs, her coat a brilliant russet red that gleamed in the chandelier light. The pack gasped collectively, then erupted in cheers and howls of approval.

Sol’s hand—now a paw as black as midnight—nudged against hers. He had shifted beside her, his massive wolf form radiating strength and protection. She felt his pride wash over her like a warm wave through their strong mate bond.

You’re magnificent , his thoughts touched hers.

Without planning it, Helena threw her head back and released a howl that rang clear and true through the ballroom. The pack responded, humans and wolves alike, their voices joining in a primal chorus that seemed to shake the very foundations of the castle.

With a playful nip at Sol’s ear, Helena leaped from the dais and darted through the crowd, which parted respectfully for her. She raced through the corridors, the exhilaration of acceptance and belonging flooding through her veins. She was Luna. She was mated. She was home.

Back in their royal chambers, she shifted smoothly into human form, her whole body tingling with the afterglow of transformation and triumph. As she slipped into a robe, she knew with bone-deep certainty that no one like Victor could ever touch her now. The entire pack would defend her to their last breath—not because she was powerful, but because she was theirs. And they were hers.

Later that evening, Helena slipped through the glass doors to their private balcony, the cool night air kissing her heated skin. The celebration had been magical—hundreds of shifters dancing, feasting, and howling their approval of their new Luna. She had never felt so accepted and so wanted, and yet a tiny part of her still felt adrift.

Leaning against the stone balustrade, Helena gazed at the vast forest bathed in moonlight. The estate sprawled before her, beautiful and wild—much like the new life she had inherited. Her fingers traced the mate mark on her shoulder, still sensitive to the touch.

“What happens to Helena the chef now?” she whispered to the stars.

A memory flickered to life suddenly—Lorelei’s shocking phone call a month ago. How could she have forgotten something so momentous? Her best friend from college calling in a daze, babbling about turning into a white wolf and finding her mate, an alpha named Draken from the Moonshadow pack.

Helena had thought Lorelei was joking at first. Then she had worried her friend had joined some bizarre cult.

“I can’t believe I didn’t remember that,” she murmured, the irony hitting her. Helena had been so overwhelmed by her own supernatural awakening that she had completely forgotten her best friend had experienced the same transformation.

Determined, she summoned Deina, who appeared almost immediately.

“Luna, what may I do for you?”

“I need a phone, please. There’s an important call I need to make.”

When Deina returned with the device, Helena wasted no time dialing a number she knew by heart. After three rings, a familiar voice answered.

“Hello?”

“Lorelei! God, I feel terrible. I just realized?—“

“That we’re both supernatural wolf queens now?” Lorelei laughed, the sound warm and familiar. “I’ve been waiting for your call since I heard the news today from Draken. Something about the Sunflare Luna awakening and her name being Helena Divata. You always did have to do everything I did.”

Helena slid down to sit on the cool stone, relief washing over her. “How are you handling all this? The powers, the pack, being mated to an alpha? Do you miss your old life?”

“It was overwhelming at first,” Lorelei admitted. “But, Helena, I’ve never been happier. Draken is everything to me, and the pack feels like the family I never knew I needed. Plus, I’m still designing buildings—just with a few earth-moving shortcuts now.”

“You’re still working as an architect?” Hope bloomed in Helena’s chest.

“Of course! The Luna isn’t just a pretty ornament on the alpha’s arm. Our powers and perspectives make us valuable leaders. Draken says my strategic mind helps balance his instinctive one.”

Helena twirled her hair. “I miss my kitchen.”

“So build one. A spectacular one. Cook for your pack. Start a restaurant on pack territory. Sol would move mountains for you—I’m sure a commercial kitchen isn’t out of the question.”

The possibilities unfurled before Helena like a map to a future both strange and wonderful. “It’s really possible to have both worlds?”

“It’s not just possible, it’s necessary,” Lorelei said firmly. “We’re stronger because we bring our human experiences to our Luna roles. And Helena? I’m so happy we’re in this together. Wolf queen best friends—who would have thought?”

Warmth spread through Helena’s chest. “We’ll have to get the packs together sometime.”

“Absolutely. Though I warn you, my white wolf could definitely take down your russet one,” Lorelei teased.

They laughed together, and for the first time since her transformation, Helena felt truly grounded.

After saying good-bye, Helena tilted her face to the moon, breathing deeply. The scent of pine and night-blooming flowers filled her lungs, along with something else—the distinctive cedar and smoke scent that was purely Sol.

“Planning to howl at the moon without me?” His deep voice rolled over her like velvet as he stepped onto the balcony.

Helena turned, drinking in the sight of him. He’d loosened his tie and unbuttoned his collar, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of tanned skin and the edge of his pack tattoo. Her mate. Her Alpha. Her home.

“I was just talking to Lorelei. Did you know she’s the Luna of the Moonshadow pack?”

Sol’s eyebrows rose. “Draken’s mate? That’s your college friend?” He moved closer, his powerful frame blocking out the moonlight. “Small world.”

“She just helped me see that I don’t have to choose between my old life and this one.” Helena stepped into his space, placing a hand on his chest. “That I can be both your Luna and still be Helena the chef.”

Sol’s green eyes darkened as he wrapped his strong arms around her waist. “I would never ask you to be less than who you are. Everything you are is what makes you mine.”

“I was afraid I’d have to give up cooking.”

“Give up?” Sol chuckled, the sound rumbling through his chest and into hers. “Our pack would riot if they lost the chance to taste your food. My kitchen is yours to command, Luna.”

Helena felt tears prick her eyes. “I’m so lucky to have found you.”

“I’m the fortunate one,” Sol murmured, his thumb brushing across her cheek. “I’ve lived centuries waiting for a woman who could match my fire.”

His mouth claimed hers then, demanding and possessive. She melted against him, her body igniting with the familiar heat that only Sol could kindle.